Commission delays final budget vote after packet errors; schedules June 30 called meeting

The County Commission delayed final approval of the fiscal 2026 budget after staff said corrected budget packets were requested, and scheduled a called meeting for 7 p.m. Monday, June 30, to hold the first readings of appropriations and tax levies.

The move leaves the county operating under its 2025 budget until the commission acts. Commissioners approved a resolution to continue operating under the 2025 budget and approved a package of year-end budget amendments as housekeeping measures while the corrected FY2026 materials are circulated.

Budget and Finance Committee member Commissioner Gulley, who led the committee’s work, said the panel had pared the budget to a plan that would require a 10-cent property tax increase to cover pay adjustments and other costs. “We presented you a budget that only has 10¢,” Gulley said, noting the committee had worked to balance revenues and expenditures while proposing raises to address pay gaps in public safety departments.

The commission voted 17–0 to adopt the interim resolution allowing the county to continue operating under the 2025 budget. The same unanimous margin approved the year‑end budget amendments after committee and work‑session review. Gulley said the committee had sought to hold the property‑tax increase as low as possible but warned that changes to the proposed raises would affect the tax rate: “Anything that we go above, any changes we make to those raises, know that every $36,000 will cost you another penny on that property tax increase.”

Commissioners and staff discussed several pay issues cited by the committee: Gulley said deputies’ regular pay remained below comparable neighboring counties and noted that the county’s lowest paid basic EMT would make about $66,000 under the proposed plan, while many deputies would remain under $55,000. He also reminded commissioners that a potential jail project under consideration would carry substantial future tax implications; Gulley cited an estimated $35–$40 million project and said an 80‑cent tax increase would be required to cover that cost under current assumptions.

With the packet corrections requested by staff, the commission scheduled a special called meeting for 7 p.m. Monday, June 30, at the courthouse to take up the first readings of the appropriations ordinance and related tax-levy measures. No final action on the FY2026 budget occurred at the meeting. Commissioners and staff said the extra week is intended to allow time for the corrected packets to be reviewed before the first reading.

The commission also encouraged commissioners to raise specific questions to Budget and Finance ahead of the called meeting; no additional budget votes were taken at the session beyond the interim housekeeping measures.

Looking ahead, the commission will reconvene on the called meeting date for the first readings of the appropriation, tax-levy and general urban-services ordinances and any remaining budget votes.